Creating Raves
For additional recommendations please visit my LinkedIn profile.
“I just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you again for the opportunity to observe and participate in your wonderful course. It was a powerful and practical learning experience, and I can’t think of anyone in our company who wouldn’t benefit from it. In my view, what makes it so valuable is the way you engage the mind, heart and body by 1) grounding the subject it in science, research and the reality of the practitioners, and 2) leading participants through the experience of trying out the tools and techniques so they ‘feel’ the difference between stress and recovery from stress by the end of the day.” Stephanie Webb, (former) Global Leadership & Learning Manager for Deloitte
“Thank you so much for such a educative and inspiring time. It was great having you as a coach there. I started practicing immediately not only the breathing techniques but also the advice you shared. It was motivating enough for me to take some practical actions towards sorting out the sources of stress. So far I really feel good and no matter what happens further professionally I know exactly where I am standing and what I can do for myself.” S.S.
“A simple heartfelt thank you for the interactive, reflective and inspiring day on Saturday. Your workshop was filled with scientific evidence, visual re-reinforcements and introspective moments which tied in supremely well with the practical tips that brought it all home for me: our hearts need less stress! YOU have a gift and powerful experience to share with others!” Gretchen Loy
“Thanks very much for the inspiring workshop. I enjoyed it.” Greg
“I have immensely enjoyed the workshop facilitated by Mary Jane. It has provided me with more than what I was hoping for. It helped me not only to better understand the ‘anatomy’ of stress and its mental and psychosomatic consequences but most importantly, how I personally enable or cause stress in my (professional) life. In addition to these, I have been given a number of tools that I can apply instantly in my life to better manage, if not to avoid, stress triggers. With new (personal) insights into the topic, I am keen to further explore this topic. Mary Jane is an excellent teacher and facilitator of this topic. The workshop was very well organized, easy to understand and interactive. She also offered clarifications if and when needed. The visual and audio materials used during the workshop provided not only additional information but they assisted us in making understanding key points. Her enthusiasm kept us engaged throughout the day. I would not hesitate to recommend Mary Jane’s workshops, her know-how on the topic, and its usefulness to anybody!” Ziggy Marot
“You don’t know what you don’t know” but Mary Jane showed me how to see certain situations more objectively, and use some valuable techniques. If you are dealing with stressful situations at work or home, her workshop comes highly recommended.” Charalampos Sergios
“The workshop was great and packed with useful info to better understand stress and it also included several tips, techniques, and tools that one can put in to action right away to start eliminating stress. I’d definitely recommend it to my clients.” Laurie Villarreal
“Mary Jane speaks from the heart communicating a depth of knowledge and insights from her training and life experience, coupled with the latest research findings for maximum relevance and learning. I have been applying these insights and new learning since hearing her speak, better recognizing the stress in my own life and dealing with it more healthfully.” Colleen Reichrath Career Consultant for Mobile Career Adventurers (& Wannabe’s)
“Thank you so much for the great workshop! I found it very educational, and I learned a lot about myself. I will certainly tell all of my friends and colleagues about it.” Dr. Curtis Barrett, Oegstgeest
“A belated thank you for Saturday’s session. I really enjoyed it. It was much more than I was looking for, so new for me and very engaging. The material you presented, your way of delivering it was so well structured and easy to grasp. Above all, I really admired you, your life story, your continuous learning process. Thank you for sharing, that made your workshop so special for me.” Liza
“Thank you for a wonderfully inspiring workshop. Even with everything I know about stress management and resiliency, you added new dimensions to my knowledge.” Gabrielle McKinnon
“Thank you Mary Jane for a wonderful workshop! It was inspiring, engaging, and informative. Your techniques on stress and resiliency management are very useful and easy to apply. I also appreciate the weekly tips which are helpful reminders to always take time for self-care. Thank you again!” Mariella
“Mary Jane Roy’s talk on stress management was incredibly inspirational! Her ability to communicate her message with clear and calm enthusiasm enabled me to create a comprehensible link between human physiology and my thoughts on psychology and yoga. I was able to use the lecture directly on the first day of my professional life: I was able to get shy Nordic persons to shake in a yoga class by explaining why Zebras don’t get ulcers 😉 From one heart to another: Thank you!” Paulina P.
“I always had doubts that perhaps this annoying feeling in my chest whenever I was stressed had a physical cause to it, but her simple breathing techniques took that feeling off straight away. She was very warm, interesting, sweet and funny and I hope she makes more visits to Webster and perhaps even teach here!” Reham
“Mary Jane’s talk was wonderful. It was insightful and informative, as well as funny and relaxing. She is a great speaker and her tone of voice was perfect for what she was explaining. Before the lecture I was a bit skeptical, I must confess, but the doubts were swept away “from my heart”. I really enjoyed it. Thank you and thank Mary Jane on my behalf.” Gabriele N.
“It was a pleasure hearing from you! I have passed on the ideas you gave me of “What do I need now?” and the list of the most important people in my life, to my loved ones. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge with us. It made a difference.” Ines D.
“You are so welcome for the chocolates, just a tiny thank you for my huge appreciation for Thursday. It was wonderful and I’ve already had some really positive feedback from students both in passing and via email. One member of the class emailed me especially to say that she thinks she speaks for the whole class in saying how wonderful your lecture was and how much they all enjoyed it :-)” Katie Duncan, (former) professor Industrial / Organizational Psychology, Webster University
“Mary Jane Roy’s lecture was relevant and up-to-date with today’s society; I thought it was very interesting that she focused on aspects that business people would tend to ignore nowadays. The presentation wasn’t just a lecture on a few topics – it was personal to everyone in the class. I liked the way Mary Jane used the ‘biofeedback demo’, it was very effective. She allowed for questions and seemed very confident telling the class about what she loves. Great lecture! Thank you!” (A student)
“Thank you Mary Jane for such an informative, accessible, and applicable workshop. You connected with our students beautifully and I know they are pleased to have some practical tips to go away with that are embedded in psychological, scientific theory”. Dr. Marie Thompson, (Former) Head of Behavioural and Social Sciences Department, Webster University, Leiden.
“I have enjoyed an inspiring evening at the ABC Treehut! I have learned very useful skills and heard things that were quite stunning indeed. Hopefully I will be able to attend another meeting or presentation. Thank you for very much for sharing your knowledge and warmth!” Kind regards, Willemijn, Cancerlink
“I very much enjoyed the evening, and I have found the breathing exercises useful. In fact I was trying out the technique just this morning after something triggered some painful memories. It made a difference, and also helped me to put the incident in context and focus on more positive experiences instead.” Jo Hendry
“Enclosed in this email are the result of the evaluation we did among the participants of Women at the Top. Your workshop was assessed by 28 women and they came to an average grade of 4,5 on a scale of 1-5 (very bad – very good). This is an amazing average and therefore we want to thank you again for your presence.” Women at the Top, University of Tilburg
“Hi Mary Jane, want to thank you for sharing your knowledge with us tonight, I was impressed by it. How easy can it be?!? I do not meditate but to practice what you learned us gave a sense of rest, a feeling of inner peace … Cannot really describe it.. However, what a great feeling it already was and how wonderful would it be when I exercise this a lot! Thank you again for your effort!” Warmest regards, Annemieke
“Dank voor het sturen van de samenvatting. Dinsdagavond was ik erg verbaasd. Alles wat jij vertelde herkende ik. Ik beoefen zelf ongeveer 30 jaar yoga en nu geef ik ook les erin. Het was alsof jij vanuit een ander perspectief de effecten van yoga vertelde en tevens ook visueel duidelijk maakte. Prachtig. Dank je wel. Ik blijf graag op de hoogte.” Anka Utberg
“Mary Jane, your excellent presentation to our staff was informative and timely, well received by all. Several have shared the information with family members as well. Thank you so much.” Sharon Tucker, Facility Administator Charlotte County Hospital, New Brunswick Canada
“Thank you for that great workshop! And the summary. I am really looking forward to getting the emwave 2. I am definitely going to play with it trying different types of meditation, different thoughts and see how they affect my physiology!! Having a tool to measure whether your thoughts (mind), heart and body are working as a unit is fabulous!!” P. Monhollon
“Having had a lifetime of not really knowing how to handle stress wisely, to have had the opportunity to attend the “Creative Waves” Workshop was a gift that I would recommend to anyone . Not only did it reinforce the need for me to take care of myself, but it gave me the tools to do just that. My blood pressure has stabilized and I am experiencing a deep sense of peace. Wish I had known about this years ago. Thank you Mary Jane.” Joyce Mulvihill, St. Andrews, NB, Canada
“Your presentation made so much sense, I thoroughly enjoyed it. [ ]Thank you again, so much!” J. Hanley
“I was fortunate to attend your presentation at Harmony House and I found your presentation enriching. [ ]I would like to keep in touch. Peace and Blessings.” G. Locke
“… I wanted to make sure to tell you that I heard a lot of positive buzz about your presentations. I want to thank-you for bringing such a mindful topic to our town and to Harmony House. Although I wasn’t able to attend from what I hear from others it sounds very similar to meditation. For example, teaching people to notice their breath, etc. And, on a personal note, I really wish I had been able [ ]to stay, because like Ally’s mother said, your voice and aura was very pleasing and when I was around you even for a short time I felt like you were so sincere and compassionate. I hope that if you ever decide to do this again in our town or to try something else like this that you will consider our location again. Thank-you again for bringing so many people into our creative space that might otherwise have not come – now they will all know where Harmony House is!” Judy James
“I must say I’ve had a very inspiring evening. But when you think about it , it all seems so logical. Acknowledge the situations that “drain” you and try to do something about them so that they don’t “drain “ you anymore. Think more with your heart and less with your mind.” Robert, Tropisch Rozenland
“The key learning from last night: breathing technique reduces stress immediately and will help calm you right down. It works! Many thanks Mary Jane for all your great insights & teaching.” Nathalie Hennequin
“A very quick note … to thank you for the exceptional presentation to the Embassy on Creating [Better] Waves and hopefully helping us all “Go with the Flow” rather than against it. Sharing with us your amazing knowledge was really quite an eye opener and knowing the impacts we are having on ourselves in the entire stress process should be a real wake up call. Your techniques came in handy the very same day. I know I speak for many in extending my gratitude for one of the best things I’ve done in my time here. Just phenomenal.” BEST! Bill Pound, (former) Counsellor & Senior Trade Commissioner Canadian Embassy, The Hague
“Ever since the presentation by Mary Jane for our Embassy team, we’ve noticed that we’re getting into the habit of smiling and breathing in our meetings before we are addressing ‘hot’ topics and issues. We are now looking into the possibility of scheduling a few more group sessions as our first impression is that it was quite useful.” Melanie ter Meulen, Trade Commissioner (Investment) Canadian Embassy
“I joined the workshop ‘What does the heart has to do with it’ in Haarlem. It was a lovely and inspiring evening. It was really an eye-opener to learn that stress has such an impact on the heart itself. I try to practice the breathing exercise you taught us and it really is helpful to cope with daily stress. Thank you so much for sharing.” Love Suzanne Huybrechts
“I very much enjoyed the workshop. Some things one already knows but need to be confirmed to keep you focused on what you really want/need. The possibility of reaching good health just by breathing in the way you showed was roughly known to me, but that it had such a big influence on the heart beat itself was an eye opener to me. I’m now practicing this (or trying to) and it really helps dealing with stress. The restroom is my friend….. 🙂 Thanks again and I wish both you and Jacinta lots of success in combining your efforts making this world a better place.” Marijke Dijt, Best Administratie
“It was a pleasure hearing you presenting your workshop: you live in it! You are a passionate speaker and truly coherent with the topics you share.” Anja Ferrari-Malik
“Yes, I was impressed, it was a very good presentation and I couldn’t help but think it may just make our world a better one!” K. Voyles
“I found the workshop very interesting and thought provoking. It was good for the participants to discover that they do not experience these issues alone and that we have much more in common that we think.” R. Liverpool
“Thanks. I enjoyed the evening and find it resonating with me on many levels. Definitely food for thought. I was fascinated by your own part of the evening and thought your slides were compelling. You can quote me!” Jo Parfitt
“Thanks for a lovely afternoon, your stuff gels together nicely. I really enjoyed it and have already used some of the learning on my 10 yr old son who was angry at us (his parents) this afternoon. I told him how I learnt today that we can choose to feel anger or not and that the only person he was upsetting was himself. This, combined with a few extra diversionary tactics, we soon helped him to swing back to the middle and be in balance again. Phew! Anyway, thanks again.” Love Robyn
“I am a stress ball, and I like the very simple method to get rid of your stress. It is like MJ says, you do not need a fancy machine or a special place to do this exercise. After a couple of times you really can feel the difference. I believe in this method and I try to do it as often as I can. Mary Jane you did an excellent job last night, I love your enthusiasm and I notice how eager you are to share your knowledge, thanks!” Luud
“I attended the workshop last Tuesday in The Hague. A thoroughly enjoyable and informative evening. Lots of thought provoking stuff beautifully brought together by Mary Jane Roy of `Creating Waves’ and Jacinta Noonan of `Big on the Inside’. It all just makes so much sense – Thank you ladies!” Teresa Moynihan
“I really enjoyed both presentations very much. After many attempts to follow a diet I start to realise that the problem is not just food, but also emotion and “brains”. It was really interesting to hear more about the subject and it made me curious to learn more. The solution is not the “perfect diet”, but the perfect mind set. And maybe I should focus more on myself for a while instead of making everybody else happy.” I. Febus
“I thought both sections of the presentation were very interesting, motivational and useful for my situation. I was aware that I had an emotional eating – problem but didn’t know how to tackle it. Jacinta’s presentation gave very useful tools to help start working through it. Your presentation, Mary Jane was hugely interesting. I didn’t know that stress can have so profound effects on the heart and the body. It really gave the motivation to recognise the stress triggers and try to minimise them. And also to try to be kind to myself and remember to laugh more. The venue was very nice too and the group small enough for everybody to have a chance to comment if they wanted to.” R. Hagen
“Despite that I had already heard about what you’re involved with, this evening gave me, after the clear presentation and short workshop, a better picture about stress management. It was an entertaining experience and very instructive. Once again thank you and much success for the future.” Lea van Veelen
“I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of all the participants at the meeting yesterday, to thank you so much for the informative and interesting presentation. Though it was short, we learned a lot, and it has certainly aroused a lot of interest among our volunteers. It will also certainly help them to promote your workshops to our clients much more efficiently and effectively. I’m sure many of them may like to learn more about this area of our heart and body…”Qin, ACCESS manager, The Hague
“The outcome of the survey / questionnaire I have conducted was positive. Participants expressed the importance of stress management and found the speaker well prepared and helpful.” R. Najjar Focal Point, Shell Outpost Amsterdam
“It was nice meeting you last Friday. Thanks for the very useful and informative ‘Stress Management’ program and e-news.” B.M.
This workshop was delivered by Melissa Raczak, Pauline van der Lee & Mary Jane Roy. The session covered a personal case of the impact stress has on our bodies, insight into the signs and signals of stress related damage and how to take the steps to manage stress in our lives. Through an interactive session the attendees were able to learn techniques and methods to increase stress resilience.
Feedback from the session was positive. “Thank you for another wonderful and inspiring session.” Deloitte Women to the Top
Here are some of the comments from the day:
“Geweldige sessie! Herkenbaar en inspirerend! Moeten we veel meer gaan doen!”
“Fantastic session! Recognizable and inspiring! We must do more of this!”
“Very glad I came and proud ‘we’ (Deloitte) do this”
“Great session!”
A special thanks to Mary Jane for a great session! It was very helpful: full of insights, not too theoretical though, very enjoyable and relaxed, but still straight to the point. Would be great to go even deeper into the technics. Best regards, Julia Shell Outpost Den Haag
“Mary Jane Roy clearly defines what we can do to take control over our stress. She is a charismatic and powerful speaker who captures the interest of her audience. Her engaging presentation style and passion to make a difference speaks volumes. Mary Jane shares strategies that can be used anywhere and anytime to release internal stress and change your mindset about dealing with the pressures of living.” Lesley O’Leary, Principal Vincent Massey Elementary School,
“I enjoyed your presentation at Vincent Massey Elementary School last Thursday. I found it quite informative and appreciate you taking your time to share your knowledge. Once again many thanks……” L. Small Vincent Massey Elementary School presentation
“A huge congratulations for a great event last night. I found your presentation for the Professional Women’s Network on stress management very interesting. You could see from the interest and reaction of the group that it was very well received. The technique you shared with us is a very useful tool – most important!” Wendy Mackey Jones PWN NL
“Thank you for a wonderful evening yesterday. This seemed to be a success and I think you did a wonderful job together. The topic is interesting and Pauline, I was really impressed with the opening. You all pulled this off wonderfully and I can imagine this has been an inspiring journey for the three of you. It showed! Mary Jane, for a first public speech you did great. If you have another chance to present a program with the three of you, you should do this.” Caroline van Leeuven, (former) President PWN NL
“It was lovely to see you Thursday at your event at PWN. I must say that all of you showed great courage to tell your stories and be so open and honest about it. I find it so fascinating that women can be so vulnerable, and yet so incredibly strong! And as I said, I find your speech very natural. Well done!” Tina Aina Hilmersen PWN NL
